And when we couldn’t find a resource to help us understand how systemic the lack of representation is in the industry, we created one.
So, here’s The Diversity List, our labor of passion and research designed to bring fashion’s diversity status to life, to bring brands into the fold to begin correcting the industry’s lack of inclusion, to increase consumers’ brand literacy and empower them to know who they’re buying from and being hired by—or not being hired by.
Out of the 100 industry leaders on this list, it’s not difficult to count the people of color in positions of power—and that’s what fashion should be working to change. That’s what we’re working to change, and it starts with ushering in greater diversity in all things, including ethnicity, gender identification, sexual orientation, disability, religious affiliation, and anything else that has served to ‘other’ people and effectively exclude them.
This isn’t about calling companies out—it’s about calling them in. It’s about increasing the level of transparency surrounding diversity and helping companies understand how they’ve been part of the problem so they can begin to be part of a solution. This is about accountability.
Let’s usher fashion into a new era, built on a better foundation.